Amphibians

Amphibians: Evolution from water to land

• Amphibian Characteristics
  • Amphibian: means "double life"
    • Live in water and on land
  • Amphibians are a link between fish and reptiles
  • Believed to have evolved from the lobe of a finned fish
• Body Structure
  • Legs (tetrapods) (4 legs)
  • Moist Skin
• Body Function
  • Primitive lungs and diffusion through skin for respiration
    • Gills as tadpoles
  • Three- chambered hearts
  • Ecthotherms (cold blooded)
    • Body temperature changes with the environment
• Reproduction
  • External fertilizaton
  • External development
  • Must return to water to lay eggs!!!
• Metamorphosis
  • Egg
  • Tadpole
  • Adult
• Amphibian Taxonomy
  • Kingdom Animalia
    • Phylm Chordata
      • Subphylum vertebrata
        • Class Amphibia
          • Orders: Caudata, Anura, Caecilia
• Order Caudata
  • Salamanders
    • Amphibians with tails, smooth skin
  • Examples
    1. Newts are salamanders that live only in water
    2. Mudpuppy- largest local salamander (2 feet)
    3. Japanese Hellbender- largest in world (5 feet)
• Order Caecilia
  • Limbless amphibians
  • Live in tropical climates
  • Usually blind
  • Ex: Caecilians
• Order Anura
  • General Info
    1. Some are poisonous
    2. Vocal cords produce sounds for mating
    3. Frogs (more aquatic)
    4. Toads (more terrestrial)

http://allaboutfrogs.org/weird/general/cycle.html This is a very good article about frogs. Youwill learn a lot here Ernesto.
Video Clip 1: African Bullfrog
Citation: http://www.neok12.com/php/watch.php?v=zX4b55545001616b5876410a&t=Amphibians
Video Clip 2: Giant Japanesse Salamader
Citation: http://www.neok12.com/php/watch.php?v=zX647600057371707e640202&t=Amphibians

Picture 1:
Salamander

Picture 2:
Frog

Picture 3:
Toad

Picture 4:

Picture 5:
Salamander